Awakened
by MinervaDeannaBond
Summary: Emelius and Eglantine have awoken to many things: magic, family, love... and now, a baby's cries. Rated T for some sensitive material.


I'm sure anyone who's seen _Bedknobs and Broomsticks _has wondered what happened after the film ended. Did Emelius and Eglantine get married? Did they adopt the children? Did they have a child of their own? Well, this story answers those questions, in celebration of one of the most amazing movies Disney ever made and of the bond and love that brings a family together.

Dedicated to Lala Kate, whose story _Awakenings _served as the inspiration for this tale. Love you, girl, and God Bless!

* * *

Toss. Turn. Flip. Flail. Bolt upright at the sound of a wail.

Though it seemed to pattern well with the humor and scheme of a nursery rhyme, Eglantine Browne's new nighttime routine was anything but patterned or rhyming – although the _nursery _part most definitely applied. Tonight was a repeat of the last two weeks: just when she thought she would get a good night's sleep, an infant's sharp cry pierced the night and shot her straight up in bed.

Rubbing her weary eyes, Eglantine groaned quietly and focused on a corner of the bedroom, blinking until a pink bassinet came into focus. _What now, little one? _she wondered as she swung her legs off the bed and slid her feet into her slippers… and whipped back around at a sudden snore, only to glare at the blanket-covered lump that was her sleeping husband. _If you are faking sleep to get out of this, Emelius Browne, I will turn you into a rabbit and make sure it sticks. _

Fortunately – or unfortunately, she couldn't decide which – his slumber did not appear to be false. Emelius's breathing was deep and steady, punctuated by the occasional snore, and his eyes were moving rapidly beneath his closed lids, the sure sign of a deep sleep. _All right, Emelius, you're off the hook this once. _Heaving a tired sigh, Eglantine rose from the soft, all-too-tempting recesses of her bed and crossed the room to the bassinet. Tired and irritated though she was, one look at the two-week-old miracle cradled within the pink-and-white cocoon of blankets inside never failed to melt her heart. "What is the matter, my darling?" she cooed softly, lifting her newborn daughter out of the bassinet and cradling the baby in her arms.

Emma Rose Browne hiccupped and let out another cry as her mother sat them both down in the rocking chair by the window. The crying turned to frantic grunting in a twinkling, however, as the infant rooted urgently against Eglantine's chest.

"So that's it. You're hungry again." Eglantine shifted Emma to the crook of her left arm so that she could unbutton her nightgown. "Shh, Mummy's got you," she murmured to her daughter as she undid the last button. "There you go."

Emma, feeling her mother guide her, finally stopped her grunts as nourishment came within reach. Nestled within loving arms and ravenous with hunger, the baby latched onto her mother's breast and began nursing greedily.

Relaxed at last, Eglantine settled back in the chair and rocked gently as her daughter fed. She looked down at the little bundle snuggled in her arms and, not for the first time, found herself amazed. Being a witch, she had seen and done some extraordinary things and sent magic flying from the very tips of her fingers, but no magic could compare to everything connected with this child. Birthing her, and then washing and changing her, singing to her… it was all more magical than Substitutiary Locomotion. This, however, was the most special. Feeling this precious little love, herself and Emelius in one beautiful new life, nursing at her breast was wonderful. It made her feel proud, strong, and blessed to know that such a helpless, yet feisty, little creature was drawing nourishment and strength from her body. But more than that, it made her feel intrinsically, irrevocably connected to her child.

_My child. I still can't believe this is my child. _Prior to the war, Eglantine had always thought that she never wanted children, nobody to depend on her or demand of her. But all that changed when she took Carrie, Charles, and Paul in and grew to love them as though they were her own. And then, following a wild adventure and his brief stint in the war, she married Emelius. A month after their wedding, Eglantine had discovered that she was pregnant. The pregnancy was a surprise to her, considering that she had believed herself to be too old to have children, but it was a complete and absolute joy nonetheless. Emelius had all but leaped over the moon when she told him, and for the next eight months, he couldn't stop putting his hands on her swelling belly to feel the baby kicking… rubbing her little (and then not-so-little) bump and kissing it when they were alone together.

And then came the night of the birth. Eglantine had never experienced such pain in her life, feeling as though her body were being split in half, but at the first cry of her newborn child and the first look at her baby daughter's face, the pain vanished as though by magic… which, Eglantine reminded herself, it had been, in a way. It was completely magical to have her baby placed in her arms and to look into that perfect, pink little face for the first time and to feel such warmth, such love fill her heart and soul. "Hello," she whispered, brushing her finger against her daughter's cheek and marveling at the sweet softness of her skin. "My beautiful Emma Rose." And at the sound of her mother's gentle voice, Emma opened a pair of big blue eyes, looked into the identical eyes of the one who had birthed her, let out a coo and smiled.

That smile woke Eglantine up to a whole new life. No longer was she an unattached witch who, despite her claims to the contrary, needed somebody to love and to be loved herself. Now she had a true family – a jolly ex-magician with true flair for a husband, three precocious little monkeys of children whom she considered her own, and a beautiful new baby girl who had stolen her heart with one smile. Her home by the sea, which had always seemed so empty and lonely when it held only her, was now filled with so much love that sometimes it seemed as though she were living in a dream.

The unattached Eglantine had been the dream. This Eglantine, the wife, mother, and witch, was the reality, and she gave thanks that she had awoken to it… and speak of awakening, Emelius was just now waking up. "Eglantine?" he whispered, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. "Where are you, my dear?"

Eglantine smiled at her husband. "Over here," she said softly, catching his attention. "Come here, darling."

Emelius Browne didn't need telling twice. He got up from the bed, pulled his dressing gown on over his pajamas, and joined his wife beside the rocking chair, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I see Emma was hungry again," he observed with a smile, watching their daughter nurse.

Eglantine laughed as Emma stopped feeding and started grunting again, one tiny hand landing on the other half of her mother's bosom. "She still is," she said, carefully rearranging the baby in her arms so that she was now facing the opposite direction. Emma latched onto Eglantine's other breast and sucked with a vengeance, as though she hadn't just taken her fill of milk.

"Little piglet," Eglantine said wryly to the suckling infant. "If you keep eating like this, you're going to turn into one."

"Who's to say she won't? You are a witch, after all," Emelius said with a grin.

"That is not funny," Eglantine chastised him. "You're going to make me terrified of nursing her."

Emelius's smile vanished. "You're quite right, my dear; I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is stop you from feeding her." He watched the nursing in silence for a heartbeat or two before speaking again. "You amaze me, Eglantine. Do you know that?"

"I amaze you?" Eglantine asked, raising intrigued blue eyes to her husband. "How?"

"Your body is amazing."

In spite of herself, Eglantine broke into a wide smile and burst out laughing. "Emelius! Little witches have big ears," she chortled, looking down at their still-feeding daughter.

Emelius blushed. "I don't mean it like that! Well, I do," he hastily amended upon seeing his wife raise an eyebrow, "but not purely in _that _sense. Your body is amazing because it brought our child into this world."

"You helped out a little," Eglantine said mischievously, grinning at him.

"Perhaps I did," he said sheepishly, still looking embarrassed, "but it wasn't my body that Emma grew inside."

Eglantine snorted with laughter. "If you were capable of having babies, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself. You're barely able to handle nausea when you have the flu; you would kill yourself if you had to endure it every morning."

Now it was his turn to laugh. "I suppose that's true. Nevertheless, I think it's remarkable that your body protected Emma and helped her to grow all at once. What was it like, having her inside of you?"

Eglantine was quiet for a moment, looking down at Emma as the baby continued to feed. "Where do I begin? It was interesting sometimes, what with the nausea and the constant trips to the bathroom, but save for those little incidents… it was wonderful. I got to feel this precious creature growing within me, feel her moving about… feel her kicking."

"How well I remember," Emelius said, smiling fondly. "You and I would sing together and she would kick in response."

"And then came the birth. I'd never felt such pain, but it all seemed so insignificant when I held Emma for the first time. And I still feel that way whenever I hold her and feed her. I feel that way now."

Emelius's eyes returned to Eglantine's bosom, where Emma was suckling to her heart's content. "That's remarkable, too. Emma is being nourished by your body." He shook his head. "You can do so many things that I can't. Your body brought our child to life and is continuing to give her life." His hand caressed her shoulder. "And until I met you, I thought men were the stronger ones. You've awakened me, Eglantine; helped me to realize that women are far stronger than men could ever be, in so many ways. I could never have the strength to carry, birth, and feed a child the way that you do."

"But you are strong, Emelius. You overcame your own temptations to help me save England, and you fought for your country without a thought for yourself. And then you married me and adopted our other three children, and now you're a father all over again to Emma. You brought our family together. If that isn't strength, I don't know what is."

Touched to his soul, Emelius dropped a tender kiss on the top of his wife's head. "You awaken me again," he murmured, the _I love you _going unspoken, but understood between them better than any words. The three of them stayed in the sweet little bubble they'd created for what seemed a languid eternity, until Emma finally detached herself from her mother's breast.

"Here, I'll take her," Emelius offered, holding his arms out. Gratefully, Eglantine passed Emma over to her father, who took her into his strong arms and held her as gently as though she were made of precious gems. While Eglantine buttoned her nightgown, she watched her husband place their daughter over his shoulder and pat her back.

Emelius did a double take when Emma burped loudly. "Gracious! That's a big burp for such a little mite," he said to the baby, who let out a yawn. "And no wonder. Someone's getting sleepy."

"Thank goodness," Eglantine said as Emelius brought Emma over to the bassinet and carefully laid her inside. Thankfully, a full belly had relaxed the baby enough so that she fell asleep in no time. Pleased and relieved, Eglantine rested her head on her husband's shoulder and felt utter tranquility sweep her when he wrapped her in his arms and held her close. "Thank you," she whispered, hugging him back.

"No, my dearest. Thank _you._" Emelius took her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips, delicately at first, then deeply. He looked into the huge blue, ocean-like depths of her eyes and whispered, "Let's go back to sleep."

Tired from staying up so late, Emelius and Eglantine returned to bed and fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows… although this time, they returned to the world of slumber safely in each other's arms. Asleep and dreaming of the future that was yet to come, yet awakened to many things: joy, family, and the strongest magic of all, love.


End file.
